Technical Abilities - Performance is probably more important to you. You might mike watching people demonstrate virtuosity of their instrument. I'm guessing fans of Metal and Shred like this. Classical music wise, they probably like works by people like Liszt, Alkan, etc.

Composition - You're more interested in what's on the sheet music, so to speak. You prefer a beautiful but easy piece to play, compared to a cliche, but difficult as f*ck, track. You might like more ambient Electronic music or rock music that isn't as fixated on Solos, like The Beatles.

Lyrics - You like a song with words that speak to you I guess. Obviously the music backing it is probably important, but your main focus on Music is more what's in the lyrics. I'm guessing this is more what people who like Rap and some types of Folk appreciate.

Production - Like video games with good graphics, you want music with top of the line professional production. Songs can be ruined with terrible production. People who appreciate this the most probably like Electronic Dance or Dubstep music like Deadmau5 or Skrillex.

Lyrics - You like a song with words that speak to you I guess. Obviously the music backing it is probably important, but your main focus on Music is more what's in the lyrics. I'm guessing this is more what people who like Rap and some types of Folk appreciate.

This one mostly, even though folk is one of the few things I listen to that even has lyrics.

Composition, but production is also important. If a song is "bad quality production", I don't mind if it's a good song, but I love hearing a great quality track and wondering how exactly they got that sound.

Technical abilities and composition are my main picks, though I don't see how they're at all exclusive. There are a great many technically complex pieces that are also very well composed. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBA-38mzabs

Technical abilities and composition are my main picks, though I don't see how they're at all exclusive. There are a great many technically complex pieces that are also very well composed. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBA-38mzabs

Well, I don't think they're totally exclusive. None of these are really exclusive. Liszt is still a bitchin composer even though a lot of his music seems to be very show-offy. I just think most of us probably appreciate one maybe a little more than the other.

1. Composition2. Lyrics/melody tied(Seriously, instrumental music =/= constant wank. ...Usually. There needs to be a separate category for a well-written melody if that's not included in composition, which adding lyrics seems to indicate it's not)3. Technical abilities4. Production

You CAN play anything with anything....but some guitars sound right for some things, and not for others. Single coils sound retarded for metal, though those who are apeshit about harpsichord probably beg to differ.

Normally I'd put technical abilities and lyrics (I want metaphors, not a freaking description of the surrounding.) a high number, but it just occurred to me I don't like bad production. Distortion, extreme clipping (Looking at you, Metallica) and roughness in the audio can totally ruin it for me.

Normally I'd put technical abilities and lyrics (I want metaphors, not a freaking description of the surrounding.) a high number, but it just occurred to me I don't like bad production. Distortion, extreme clipping (Looking at you, Metallica) and roughness in the audio can totally ruin it for me.

Normally I'd put technical abilities and lyrics (I want metaphors, not a freaking description of the surrounding.) a high number, but it just occurred to me I don't like bad production. Distortion, extreme clipping (Looking at you, Metallica) and roughness in the audio can totally ruin it for me.

Normally I'd put technical abilities and lyrics (I want metaphors, not a freaking description of the surrounding.) a high number, but it just occurred to me I don't like bad production. Distortion, extreme clipping (Looking at you, Metallica) and roughness in the audio can totally ruin it for me.

how does this work?

“Just to sum up: I would do various things very quickly.” - Donald Trump

Composition - 50%. This is the biggest one for me, and I feel that most other classical guitars or fingerstyle acoustic players will feel the same way... the beauty of a piece is its own, standalone thing, so naturally it is the most important aspect to me. The player is just the medium through which the beauty is expressed, though of course that medium is important and can be awe-inspiring as well.

Technical proficiency - 40%. Honestly, this is a big one for me. As important as the composition is, a sloppy technical rendition of, for instance, the second movement of Stele, chosen for its complexity, will completely euthanize the effect and feeling of the piece.

Production - 10%. This is so low, because I thought about it through examples before thinking about it through theory. Many of Segovia's recordings and videos have terrible production quality, when compared to modern capabilities, but IMHO they effect the piece and performance not one bit. On the flip side, Four Seasons by Xuefei Yang most definitely benefits from having the best damn production quality I've heard on a classical guitar album.

1. Composition-If you don't have a great song.....well it isn't great music isn't it?

2. Technical Ability-Technical ability ADS to the song, and is extremely important to musicians. BUT if you have some guitar player going widdly widdly widdly for 10 mins without any change to the song, the feeling can't compare with the dynamics of a great song no matter how passionately the musician is playing.

3. Lyrics-Meaningful lyrics are great and inspiring, but if the song isn't great the message doesn't come across as well as it could have with a good composition.

4. Production-Rolling Stones first album. Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Robert Johnson, Charley Patton. They could easily destroy most modern bands with their songs. All of these artists had terrible quality records by our standards. I look past all of that and pay attention to the song. If the song is great, I don't care how bad the quality is.